Birds of a Feather …5 Keys to Victory for the Seahawks vs. the Atlanta Falcons …

And then there was one. The NFL Wild Card Weekend opened this past Saturday with an unprecedented 3 Rookie QB’s starting for their respective teams. Andrew Luck (the 1st Overall Pick of the 2012 NFL Draft) … Robert Griffin III (the 2nd Overall Pick) … and an unheralded too short rookie QB taken in the 3rd Round by the name of Russell Wilson each entered Wild Card Weekend … but only Wilson came safety through the other side. Though it wasn’t a dominant performance by any means, Wilson and the Hawks in the end made enough plays to advance to the next round, in the process ending a 29 year drought, as December 31, 1983 was the last time the Seahawks had won a road playoff game prior to this last Sunday. They did it in grand fashion too, coming back from a 14-0 deficit – which was not only the largest playoff comeback in Seahawks history … but also the largest playoff comeback EVER by an NFL Rookie Quarterback. Wilson continues to astound experts and to win fans. No rookie is supposed to be as cool as the other side of the pillow like Wilson has been – to be experiencing the NFL’s bombs and mortars going off around him … and to treat it all as if he were at a beach in Tahiti sipping a Mai Tai. As a reward for knocking off RGIII and the Redskins, the Seahawks (as the #5 Seed) get the privilege this next weekend of flying to Atlanta of deploying their talons against the NFL’s #1 seeded Falcons. It’s an aerial showdown against two of the NFL’s top birds of prey. Will the Seahawks swoop in and steal a victory … or will they ultimately get pecked to death? Here are 5 Keys to Victory the Seahawks will have to succeed in IF they are to knock off the NFC’s #1 Team this weekend …

Key #1: Cancel All Scheduled Flights …

Unlike last week’s opponent, the Atlanta Falcons are an offense that flies a majority of the time …

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Atlanta’s high-powered passing attack and how the Seahawks pass defense matches up …

Falcons Passing Offense vs. Seahawks Pass Defense …

Falcons Off. Category

NFL Rank

Seahawks Def. Category

NFL Rank

26.2 Pts Scored/Game

7th Most

15.3 Pts Allowed/Game

#1 in the NFL

281.8 Pass Yds/game

6th Most

203.1 Pass Yds/Game Allwd

6th Best

46 Passes of 20 Yards+

19th Most

40 Passes of 20 Yards+ Allowed

6th Fewest

45.1% 3rd Down Conv Rate

2nd

Allw 38.4% of 3rd Down Conv

17th

32 Passing TD’s

5th Most

15 Passing TD’s Allwd

2nd Fewest

Score TD’s 50.00% in Red Zone (AT HOME)

23rd

TD’s Allwd 55.0% in Red Zone (ON ROAD)

16th in NFL

28 Sacks Allowed

7th Fewest

36 Sacks

tied for 18th

99.1 Passer Rating for Matt Ryan

6th Best

71.8 QB Passer Rating Against

3rd Best

Matt Ryan (6’4” 217 Pounds) has become one of the true elite passers in this game and a guy that opposing defenses need to really respect. He has proven to be a great leader who is very calm under pressure. Ryan is an incredibly accurate passer (the NFL’s best this year) with a strong arm … makes good decisions … and can put up crooked numbers in a hurry. Focusing just on Ryan for a second, here were his numbers for 2012 …

Matt Ryan’s 2012 Statistics

Category

NFL Ranking

422 Pass Comp

4th Most

615 Pass Att

8th

68.6 Comp%

1st

4,509 Yards

6th Most

32 TD’s

5th Most

14 INT’s

tied 12th LEAST

99.1 QB Rating

6th Best

74.5 Total QBR

4th

The former Boston College star was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2008 … has been named to 2 Pro Bowls (2010 and 2012) … and led his team to the playoffs 4 out of his 5 years in the league. For all that though, Matt Ryan is 0-3 in the Post-season. His Falcons Lost …

30-24 to the Arizona Cardinals in the Playoffs (his rookie season) on 1/3/2009 …48-21 to the Green Bay Packers in the Playoffs on 1/15/2011 …24-2 to the New York Giants in the Playoffs on 1/8/2012 …

Ryan has actually thrown for more interceptions than touchdowns in his young playoff career (4 INT’s/3 TD’s). And after 3 one and done performances each of the last 3 times the Falcons have been to the playoffs, many critics out there are asking whether Matt Ryan can win the big game or not. The Falcons have an explosive finesse offense that can put up points in a hurry … but there are those like former Seahawks linebacker Dave Wyman who has called this Atlanta Offense “soft”, saying that they cave under the pressure of tough, physical defenses. Let’s hope that’s true because the numbers this group has put up this year are fairly impressive …

(2012) Falcons Top Receiving Targets

Receiver

Size

Catches

Yards

Yards/Catch

TD’s

#Catches of 20 Yds+

% of Passing Off

WR Roddy White

6’0” 211 Lbs

92

1,351

14.7

7

18

21.8%

TE Tony Gonzalez

6’5” 247 Lbs

93

930

10.0

8

3

22.04%

WR Julio Jones

6’3” 220 Lbs

79

1,198

15.2

10

17

18.72%

RB Jacquizz Rodgers

5’6” 196 Lbs

59

402

7.6

1

2

13.35%

WR Harry Douglas

6'0” 183 Lbs

38

396

10.4

1

5

8.60%

RB Jason Snelling

5’11” 234 Lbs

31

203

6.5

1

0

7.01%

RB Michael Turner

5'10" 247 Lbs

19

128

6.7

1

1

4.30%

Those are the numbers … let’s talk about them a bit …

Falcons Receiving Corps vs. Seahawks Secondary …

As you can see, the Falcons Offense has a number of guys at receiver who can make plays and make them down the field. On Sunday, there is little question who Ryan will be looking to get the ball to -- Roddy White, Julio Jones, and Tony Gonzalez. Roddy White (6’0” 211 Pounds) is a big, physical receiver with a lot of speed (4.47 in the 40), leaping ability (41 inch vertical), and a real knack for making plays downfield. Though he’s had some nagging knee issues (like Sidney Rice), this is a guy who is tough and has not missed a game in his career. Lining up on the other side of him, last year’s 1st Round Draft Choice (6th Overall) out of Alabama Julio Jones (6’3” 220 pounds) is another receiver who can turn most defensive backs around. With excellent speed (4.37 in the 40), elusiveness, strength, and toughness … he is a true force to be reckoned with. Rounding out the trifecta of terror for this offense is one of the greatest Tight Ends to ever play the game – Tony Gonzalez (6’5” 247 Pounds). Though he is an almost lock for the Hall of Fame, Gonzalez has never won a world championship. At 36 years of age, you just wonder when Father Time come calling. He’s shown few signs of slowing down yet though, as he scored 8 touchdowns and accounted for 22.04% of all Atlanta’s catches this season. Look for a very motivated Gonzalez to do everything he can do to power his team to the NFC Championship. Between those 3 guys, they had 25 of the Falcons 44 touchdowns … 62.5% of all the Falcons receptions … and 3,479 (73.7%) of their 4,719 Passing Yards this year. Obviously, finding a way to slow those 3 down is critical to Seattle’s success this Sunday.

The Falcons have other tools in the shed that they employ however. Harry Douglas (6’0” 183 Pounds) is a fairly effective slot receiver who has decent speed (4.51 in the 40), quickness, and good hands. He comparables favorably to 49ers receiver Mario Manningham and as you can see, Ryan has targeted him quite a bit this year. And like most NFL teams these days, the Falcons also get the ball to their running backs a fair amount as well. Looking at the stats shows that 25.83% of Atlanta’s completions this year have been to the running backs. In particular, Jacquizz Rodgers (5’6” 196 Pounds), the former Oregon State Beaver, is a fast little scat back that the Falcons like to employ in the passing attack and he has had 8 games this season in which he has caught 4 or more balls. Rodgers averaged 4.9 Yards/Carry … had 3,877 yards … and scored 51 touchdowns for the Beavers, so he is certainly someone to keep an eye on. Seattle has struggled with quick backs like these, as Reggie Bush and C.J. Spiller both averaged over 6 yards/carry against the Hawks.

But strange as it may sound, Seattle’s Defense appears to have the personnel to match up with this group fairly well. In fact, they may what Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing was to the Death Star … and actually be equipped to deal with them better than any team in the NFL. Can we thank Richard Sherman’s lawyers enough for helping Sherman win his appeal? Having Richard Sherman (6’3” 195 Pounds) and Brandon Browner (6’4” 221 Pounds) available on the same field again is an incredible boost to this defense. The reason that the Seahawks led the NFL in fewest points allowed (just 15.3 Pts/Game) can in so many ways be attributed to the fact that they have those two. The Shermanator has shut down some of the top wide receivers in the game this season, so it will be very interesting to see if he can go in to the Georgia Dome and do the same thing. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner will obviously be on Roddy White and Julio Jones in some form or another. Sherman and Browner held the Redskins’ Pierre Garcon and Santana Moss to just 7 catches and 69 yards combined this past weekend. White and Jones are the best wide receiving duo in the league … Sherman and Browner the best defensive back duo in the league. It should be one heck of a battle on Sunday.

As I mentioned though, the Falcons have more than just White and Jones that the Hawks have to contend with. Yes, Sherman and Browner may be able to limit those two … but what about Tony Gonzalez and the other receiving threats I mentioned? I’m going to say that Seattle’s linebackers … and SS Kam Chancellor (6’3” 232) in particular have got to step up in this game. Since the Falcons pass far more than they run (and Ryan isn’t all that much of a threat to run), Chancellor comes in to play here – especially against Gonzalez in those short to intermediate zone areas. Chancellor is in many ways a real key to this game because how does against Gonzalez in those regions will go a longs ways towards determining who wins this game. Chancellor does bring that real physical presence that you’d like to have against a TE like Gonzalez, but he doesn’t have the speed Tony Gonzalez does. While Chancellor runs 40 yard dash in 4.62 seconds … Gonzalez runs about that even at age 36. So, he does provide a bit of a match-up issue, as the only linebackers who can match that speed wise are MLB Bobby Wagner (6’0” 241 Pounds) (4.46) and Malcolm Smith (6’0” 226 Pounds) (4.44). Given that the Seahawks will also probably see Jacquizz Rodgers (4.47) a fair amount, and will be without their best pass rusher, the Seahawks will need as much speed as they can get in coverage. Malcolm Smith did get plenty of rotation time in the Washington game and that he has tended to make plays whenever he’s in there, I’d look for him to get plenty of playing time in this game as well. And once again, like a broken record, what happens with the Nickel Corner in this game becomes incredibly important. Does 10 year veteran CB Marcus Trufant (5’11” 197 Pounds) – whom it looks like will get the start once again -- have the speed and quickness necessary to be able to keep up with slot receivers like Harry Douglas anymore? Trufant did help hold Danny Amendola to 27 yards in the Rams game and limit Santana Moss to 19 yards, but we’ll see if he can repeat that this week. FS Earl Thomas (5’10” 202 Pounds) showed the Redskins why he’s going to the Pro Bowl, as his speed (4.43) and amazing range was on display in that game, changing what was meant to be a home run ball to Pierre Garcon in to an easy interception. The Seahawks will need a lot more of that same kind of center field play from Thomas on Sunday.

But even the best secondary in the world can only cover for so long. As we talked about last week, the best pass defense is a good pass rush – which is where we turn our attention to next …

Key #2: Blunt Their Beaks at the Point of Attack …

Though it’s not a glamorous topic by any means, there is perhaps no greater key to victory for Seattle in this game than the war in the trenches. How the Seahawks Defensive Front 7 ultimately plays against this Falcons Offensive Line probably determines the eventual outcome of this game. Let’s start off by taking a brief look at that Atlanta Offensive Line and how they have performed this year …

According to Football Outsiders, the Atlanta Falcons Offensive Line was the 8th Best unit in the NFL this season in terms of their Pass Protection. They allowed just 28 Sacks on the season (the 7th Fewest of any team in football this year). For a Seattle Defense that produced only 36 Sacks on the year (18th on the season) to go up against this group … on the road … without its best pass rusher is a daunting task indeed.

How can Seattle hope to get to Matt Ryan without Chris Clemons? Good question. With Clemons now done for the season with a torn ACL, the Seahawks are certainly trying to answer that question themselves. Obviously, the mantle has now officially been passed to DE Bruce Irvin (6’2” 248 Pounds) to make his Bobby Boucher (the Waterboy) act a full time gig. Irvin IS truly blazing fast, as though he ran the fastest 40 time of any defensive end at the combine (4.5) … has actually been clocked as fast as 4.38. With 29 Tackles for Loss and 22.5 Sacks in just 2 years at West Virginia – Irvin was a force to be reckoned with in college. Though there were concerns coming in to this year about Irvin’s run defense, I don’t believe that will be as big of an issue (especially in this game) given what Gus Bradley and the coaching staff were asking Clemons to do.

Though DE Greg Scruggs (6’3” 284) becomes the next man up to take Irvin’s spot in the rotation, it wasn’t surprising whatsoever that the Seahawks signed former Viking, Bronco, and Buccaneer DE Patrick Chukwurah (6’1” 250 Pounds) on Tuesday as extra insurance. Chukwurah, the 33 year old former University of Wyoming Cowboy, last played for the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League from 2009-2010, leading the league in sacks each of those years. Chukwurah, who says that sacking the quarterback brings him joy, will undoubtedly get his jollies met, going after quarterbacks as a situational pass rusher and helping out on special teams.

As a result of Clemons’s injury and Irvin’s reputation of having difficulties against the run, I’d actually expect the Falcons Offensive Coordinator Kirk Koetter to try to establish somewhat of a running game on Sunday … and to take advantage by going right at Irvin. Greg Scruggs might see a lot more time as a result, as he is better against the run than Irvin. Still, Atlanta not only has not made running the ball that much of an emphasis this year … but during those times when they have they frankly haven’t done a very good job. The Falcons averaged only 87.3 Yards/Game during the regular season (4th Fewest) … and only 3.7 Yards/Rush (5th worst average). Though the Hawks will probably not see RB Michael Turner much (on average, he only gets about 14 times carries a game), they’ll need to pay attention to him, as his 10 Rushing TD’s were the 8th Most in football this year. Still, their aerial attack remains the primary mode of how the Falcons have moved the ball this year …

[And now back to our regularly scheduled program of previewing the Falcons Passing Attack ...]

Interestingly enough, Atlanta has had its biggest problems in pass protection right up the middle. In terms of this weekend, the matchup that I’m going to be paying particular attention to is DT’s Brandon Mebane (6’1” 311 Pounds) and Alan Branch (6’6” 325 Pounds) against C Todd McClure. Mebane and Branch both played extremely well and dominated this past Sunday. We’ll see if those 2 can continue that trend this weekend.

One other idea we might see that the Seahawks could employ is to roll Kam Chancellor down closer to the line of scrimmage on occasion. Since Seattle probably won’t have to worry as much about the run … Chancellor could be employed from time to time on safety blitzes. With Clemons now out for the season, we’ll undoubtedly see Gus Bradley and Seattle employ more blitzes. In particular, I’d look for LB’s K.J. Wright (6’4” 246 Pounds) and Malcolm Smith to be utilized in that capacity. S Jeron Johnson (5’10” 212 Pounds) could also be employed as well, as he not only had 2.0 Sacks during the regular season, but also laid a good shot on RGIII this past weekend as well.

The Atlanta Falcons have been a team that allowed 83 hits on the quarterback this year (8th Most in the game). To give you some perspective on that, Green Bay’s line allowed 85 QB Hits, so opposing teams HAVE actually gotten to Matt Ryan a surprisingly large percentage of the time. If Seattle doesn’t get too crazy and blitz constantly, such a move could obviously pay dividends. Ryan is one who can make mistakes if pressured. Lost in the shuffle of Arizona’s 23-19 loss this season is the fact that a very quality Cardinals Front 7 (Football Outsiders ranked them the 7th Best Pass Rushing unit) forced Matt Ryan in to throwing 5 interceptions against an very good secondary.

One thing’s for certain – against a quarterback like Matt Ryan … with the arsenal he’s got at his disposal … you absolutely cannot allow him time in the pocket back there on a consistent basis or he’s going to burn you.

There’s another way to get some fairly reliable fire insurance though …

Key #3: Rule the Roost …

Matt Ryan and the Falcons Offense can’t beat you if they don’t have the ball. Last Sunday, the Seahawks did an excellent job of playing keep away, as they won the time of possession battle quite handily …

Seahawks Time of Possession … 34:20Redskins Time of Possession … 25:40

Of course the reason that the Seahawks were able to control the clock … was that they were able to ram Marshawn Lynch down their throats for most of the game. As we talked about last week, no team in the NFL had more rushing attempts during the regular season than the Seattle Seahawks (536 Rush Attempts). Can they be successful again this Sunday in Atlanta? Let’s take a look at how the numbers compare …

Seahawks Rushing Offense vs. Falcons Rush Defense …

Seahawks Off. Category

NFL Rank

Falcons Def. Category

NFL Rank

25.8 Points Scored/Game

9th Most

18.7 Points Allowed/Game

5th Fewest

161.2 Rushing Yards/Game Avg.

3rd

123.2 Rushing Yds/Game Allowed Avg.

21st

4.8 Rushing Yards/Att. Avg.

tied for 5th

4.8 Rushing Yds/Att. Allowed

4th Worst

14 Runs of 20+ Yards

7th Most

16 Runs of 20+ Yards Allowed Avg.

5th Most

16 Rushing TD’s

tied for 9th Most

16 Rushing TD’s Allowed

8th Most

311 First Downs

16th

298 First Downs Allowed

9th Fewest

7 Rushing Fumbles

13th

15 Forced Fumbles

17th

Stuffed Behind LOS 15% of Time

Best in NFL

51 Tackles for Loss

13th

The Falcons know as we do that the Seahawks plan coming in to this game will be to do exactly what they did to the Redskins – pound Marshawn Lynch, control the clock, and tire out the Falcons Defensive Front 7, and keep the ball out of the hands of Matt Ryan and the explosive Falcons Offense.

In short, the Seahawks need to be the ones who Rule the Roost … and the way you begin to do that is defending it with Bird Bird Marshawn Lynch.

Defensive Tackle Jonathan Babineaux (brother of former Seahawks SS Jordan “Big Play Babs” Babineaux) talked this week about his unit’s responsibility against the run coming in to the playoffs …

“Every play starts with the (defensive) line,” Babineaux said. “What we do up front dictates a lot of what happens on the back end. It’s our job to fill in our gaps, secure our gaps and make sure that the ball doesn’t run in our gaps. If it does, we have to make the tackle. That’s the type of attitude that we have to have from here on out. We have to be stout in everything that we do.”

Last time the Falcons and Seahawks met back on 10/2/2011 … the Falcons held Marshawn Lynch to just 24 yards on 8 Carries.

The time before that (12/19/10) they did allow Lynch to score a touchdown … but they again limited him to just 60 yards on 12 Carries.

As you can see by the numbers above, there is a high likelihood that won’t be the case this time. Though they come in to this contest as one of the best scoring defenses in the league, the Falcons have also had a lot of problems stopping the run this season. If there is an Achilles Heel on this team – that’s it, as they are statistically one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL.

The Seahawks Offensive Line (on the other hand) comes in to this game as one of the very best in terms of establishing and maintaining the run. Again, according to Football Outsiders, the Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line …

has been stuffed either at or behind the line of scrimmage 15% of the time this year (Best percentage in the league) …

ranks #2 in the league in terms of Second Level Yards (number of yards earned 5-10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage) …

are the 8th Best team on number of yards earned beyond 10 yards …

is successful 70% of the time in short yardage situations (3rd or 4th Down and 2 or less) – 2nd Best of any team in football.

The Falcons, meanwhile, were gashed this year by power running backs at many points this year. They allowed …

Buccaneers RB Doug Martin to roll for 142 yards on 28 carries (a 5.1 Yards/Carry Average) and get in the end zone for a touchdown.

If I’m a Falcons fan, I’m fairly concerned about that trend heading in to this game. As I shared last week, Marshawn Lynch has been a beast on many occasions this season … and he has done so against some of the very best rush defenses in the game …

2012 Marshawn Lynch Rushing Performances (Against Top Defenses)

Week (Date)

Opp.

Result

Car

Yards

Yds/Att

Long

TD’s

Opp. Rush Yds/G Allwd

Opp. Avg. Pts. Allwd/Game

6 (10/14)

vs. Patriots

24-23 (WIN)

15

41

2.7

7

0

101.9 (9th)

20.7 (9th)

7 (10/18)

at 49ers

6-13 (LOSS)

19

103

5.4

15

0

94.2 (4th)

17.1 (2nd)

9 (11/4)

vs. Vikings

30-20 (WIN)

26

124

4.8

23

1

105.8 (11th)

21.8 (14th)

13 (12/2)

at Bears

23-17 OT (WIN)

19

87

4.6

20

1

101.7 (8th)

17.3 (3rd)

16 (12/23)

vs. 49ers

42-13 (WIN)

26

111

4.3

24

1

94.2 (4th)

17.1 (2nd)

And as I mentioned last week, the only hiccup on that list was his Week 6 performance against the Patriots, as New England stacked the box and made a real point of keying in on Lynch and stopping him. As we also know though, that game had a very positive effective for the offense as a whole, as it marked the real beginning of the rise of Russell Wilson. With Lynch under wraps for most of that game, Wilson put the offense on his back, completing 16 of 27 passes for 293 yards and 3 TD’s (including the dramatic game winner to Sidney Rice). Teams that load up to stop Lynch … now find themselves getting slashed by the very powerful talons of Russell Wilson.

Last week, the Redskins DID load up the box, crowding the line of scrimmage in order to bring heat on Russell Wilson and to take away the running threat of Marshawn Lynch. That worked to some degree, as Wilson was sacked 5 times … but the offense as a whole got clicking midway through the 1st Quarter and never looked back. Lynch rumbled through the Redskins defense, finishing the day with 132 Yards Rushing on 20 Carries (a 6.6 Yards/Rush Avg) and a touchdown.

That was against a Redskins defense that was (statistically speaking) much better against the run in many categories than this Falcons group that the Hawks will be facing on Sunday.

That said, the Falcons Defensive Front is superior in some ways. Football Outsiders had the Atlanta Falcons Front 7 ranked …

#11 in stuffing opposing runners at or behind the line of scrimmage (they do 20% of the time)

#15 in Second Level Yards (number of yards earned 5-10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage)

#21 in Power Success -- stopping opposing runners from converting on 3rd or 4th Down and 2 or less situations (they allow opposing runners to make 1st Downs 65% of the time in those situations).

Overall, Football Outsiders ranks the Falcons Defensive Front #10 overall, so there IS some talent up front. Whether Lynch has a rousing encore repeat performance this week or not though, he’s going to have an impact on this game. Let’s turn our attention now to our commander and see whether or not he can make this crew can take flight …

Key #4: Straighten Up and Fly Right …

Can the Seahawks stretch their wings and fly? Before we begin our discussion, let’s take a look at the comparison numbers …

Seahawks Passing Offense vs. Falcons Pass Defense …

Seahawks Off. Category

NFL Rank

Falcons Def. Category

NFL Rank

25.8 Points Scored/Game

9th Most

18.7 Points Allowed/Game

5th Fewest

189.4 Pass Yds/Game

27th

242.4 Pass Yds/Game Allwd

23rd

45 Passes of 20 Yards+

21st

53 Passes of 20 Yards+ Allowed

23rd

40.25% 3rd Down Conv Rate

12th

Allw 40.5% of 3rd Down Conv

25th

33 Sacks Allowed

12th Fewest

29 Sacks

5th Fewest

27 Passing TD’s

7th Most

14 Passing TD’s Allwd

#1 Fewest

10 Interceptions Thrown

5th Fewest

20 Interceptions

tied 5th Most

8.0 Yards/ Pass Attempt

3rd Highest

7.4 Yards/Pass Attempt Allwd

tied for 20th

100.0 Passer Rating for Russell Wilson

4th Best

77.1 QB Passer Rating Against

5th Best

It’s become almost cliché to keep going on and on … week after week … gushing about Russell Wilson and how great he’s been this season. But, well – he HAS been nothing short of phenomenal.

Last week, he became just the 6th Rookie Quarterback in the history of the Super Bowl Era (since 1967) to win a playoff game.

Wilson’s 12 wins are already historic in and of itself, as it’s just the 3rd time that’s been accomplished by a rookie QB since the inception of the Super Bowl. This week, he can join Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez as the only rookies to ever advance to the Conference Championship Game.

No Rookie QB has ever reached, let alone ever won the Super Bowl. Can Russell Wilson become the first?

To accomplish that, Wilson and the Hawks have got to best a defense that finished 5th in the league in fewest points allowed per game (18.7) … yielded the fewest passing touchdowns of any defense in the NFL (14) … allowed the 5th lowest QB Rating against them (77.1) … and picked off the 5th most passes in the league (20 interceptions).

Obviously, quite a few things went right for that Falcons defense this year. Let’s take a look at the matchups of who the Seahawks receivers will be facing this weekend …

Seahawks Receiving Corps vs. Falcons Secondary and Zone Coverage …

As has been the case of late, it seems like new and different heroes step to the forefront for the Seahawks receiving corps every game. Against the Redskins, if not for TE Zach Miller (6’5” 255 pounds), the Hawks might have be home watching the Redskins against the Falcons this weekend. Miller had a whale of a game, making several clutch catches, including a key 3rd Down and 12 conversion that really was the catalyst in getting the entire Seahawk offense clicking for the rest of the game … and later a 22 yard hookup that was a central play in Seattle’s 2nd Touchdown Drive. Inside slot receiver Doug Baldwin (5’10” 189 pounds), continued his big play ways, making a 33 yard reception that set up Seattle’s 2nd Field Goal … and FB Michael Robinson (6’1” 240 pounds) (as he has done a lot lately) scored the Seahawks first touchdown. And though Sidney Rice (6’4” 202 pounds) only had 1 catch (albeit a big one in impressive fashion for 27 yards) … Golden Tate (5’10 202 pounds) picked up the slack with 4 catches of his own to tie Miller as the leading receivers in that game. So that theme of diversification really continued on Sunday, as this Seahawks team continues to show more and more ways to thwart opposing defenses. Look for that same kind of spreading the wealth around to continue, as TE Anthony McCoy (6’5” 259 pounds) is another who could be due for a big game. Though it’s great others have stepped up recently, I still remain concerned about Sidney Rice and his seeming lack of dominance of late. Rice has had only 2 catches over the past 3 games. During the regular season, Rice was targeted by Wilson (on average) 5.6 times per game. Over the course of the last 3 games, Rice has only been targeted 6 times … and was targeted only once in the Rams game. It all brings me back to that earlier knee issue and makes me wonder if it’s not still really bothering him. Let’s hope not because the Seahawks are going to need him to have a big game against a high powered Falcons team who has a very good and physical defensive backfield.

What exactly does that Falcons defensive backfield look like? Well, starting on the edges and moving inward, LCB Asante Samuel (5’10” 185 Pounds) (36 Tackles ... 19 Passed Defensed ... 5 INT) has been one of the best defenders that the Falcons have had this season. As a free agent signing in the offseason, he has helped bring a real physical presence to Falcons backfield and has been a real shot in the arm to them. Top corners aren’t usually available free and clear in free agency generally like that, so that in and of itself should make people wonder why in the world the Eagles would just let him walk away for nothing essentially. Samuel is and has been one of the best ball hawks in the NFL – a guy who is very good at reading what opposing quarterbacks are trying to do and jumping routes. But Samuel also has a reputation for at times buying in to receivers juke moves and of getting burned by them. Could we see a bit of that in this game? We’ll see – he’ll probably be seeing a lot of Golden Tate – a guy who has certainly shown he can turn a lot of defensive backs around. On the other side, RCB Dunta Robinson (5’10” 183 Pounds) (65 Tackles … 1.5 Sacks … 6 TFL … 8 Passes Defensed … 1 INT) will be facing a lot of Sidney Rice in this game. Like Samuel, Robinson has a reputation as an “in your face” physical kind of defender with amazing toughness … and a lot of speed to burn (he runs 4.34 in the 40 yard dash). Robinson suffered a concussion during the last game of the season with the Buccaneers, but the cobwebs have since cleared and he was cleared to play in this game last week. Though he’s one of the better cornerbacks in the league, he’s far from a shutdown corner, as he’s found himself turned around a time or two this season as well. Size may also play a factor here in particular with Rice, so we’ll see how that all plays out. In the slot this week, Doug Baldwin will be seeing a lot of CB Robert McClain (5’9” 195 Pounds) (61 Tackles … 0 Sacks … 1 TFL … 10 Passes Defensed … 1 INT). As you can see by the numbers, McClain has been involved in most of the defensive snaps that the Falcons have taken this year. Though he’s nowhere near as good as Samuel or Robinson, he’s a very solid nickel corner who has a lot of experience in nickel coverage and has been known to make his share of plays. Continuing our back-peddle, SS William Moore (6’0” 221 Pounds) (69 Tackles … 1.0 Sack … 4 TFL … 8 Passes Defensed … 4 INT) is a hard hitting safety and one of the team’s top tacklers. Moore missed the last 4 games of the season with a hamstring issue and returned to practice for the first time this past Saturday and coach Mike Smith has said he’s 100% healthy and should be good to go. Still, with not having played for so long could we see some rust? FS Thomas DeCoud (6’2” 192 Pounds) (76 Tackles … 1.0 Sack … 3 TFL … 9 Passes Defensed … 6 INT) is a good free safety who has really thrived this season in Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan’s system. DeCoud has been an extremely disruptive force in center field and one who many who follow the Falcons felt deserved Pro Bowl consideration this year. DeCoud and Moore together form one of the best ball-hawking tandems in the league, so Russell Wilson will have to be cognizant of where he throws the ball.

This is a Falcons team that finished 5th in the league in Interceptions (20), so they know how to make quarterbacks miserable.

But this is also a group that allowed a lot of yardage and a surprisingly large number of big completions against them (their 53 receptions of 20 yards or more allowed was the 10th Most by an NFL team).

Still, this Atlanta Falcons team is a group of Angry Birds who have lost three Playoff Games in a row … and don’t want to make it four. They’re going to come at Seattle with everything they have. And that brings us to our last and final key flying in to this contest …

Key#5: Be the Predator … Not the Prey …

The Seahawks just might be able to swoop on in and snatch a victory … but you’ve got to keep in mind that this is a fast swarming defense that the Seahawks will be facing on Sunday. Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan’s 4-3 Defense utilizes a variety of fronts, looks, disguised coverages, and various other wrinkles that are very effective at confusing opposing offenses. Will the Falcons be successful in gashing Russell Wilson and the Hawks on Sunday?

The Falcons sure think so. From their point of view, this year they’ve beaten …

Those are 6 of the best quarterbacks in the league that the Falcons have knocked off this year, so what makes the Seahawks think Russell Wilson will be any different? Before we attempt to answer that, let’s take a look at a few of the top hunters that Wilson and the Seahawks will have to contend with this week …

RDE John Abraham vs. LT Russell Okung or RT Breno Giacomini …

RDE John Abraham (6’4” 263 Pounds) (35 Tackles … 10.0 Sacks … 5 TFL … 7 Passes Defensed) is bar none the biggest predator on the field that the Seahawks will face on Sunday – a real sack master and terrorizer of quarterbacks. As a 4 time Pro Bowler and 2 time First Team All-Pro, Abraham is someone to be truly respected and a guy that offensive lineman need to keep their hands on. At 34 years of age he’s no longer as explosive as he once was, but he does have good speed and can rush from either the left or the right side. If he remains over on the right side, he’ll be facing a fellow Pro Bowler himself in Left Tackle Russell Okung (6’5” 310 pounds) – the NFC’s Starter in Hawaii and one of the best in the game. That would be one of the real marquee match-ups of this game. However, it’s also possible RT Breno Giacomini (6’7” 318 pounds) sees him … which would be interesting in and of itself to see how one of the Seahawks’ top Dirty Birds deals with him. Abraham might not have all his feathers under him though, as he suffered a left ankle injury in the Falcons last game of the season in their loss to the Bucs. He sustained that injury in the 4th Quarter when fellow teammate Peria Jerry landed on him, so he may not be 100% for this game. Abraham has been listed as a Limited Participant in practice both Wednesday and Thursday … but like Marshawn Lynch’s situation with the Seahawks, that may be purely precautionary. Watch for #55 on Sunday – the Hawks most certainly will be.

LDT Jonathan Babineaux vs. C Max Unger and RG J.R. Sweezy……

This Sunday, Unger will be going up one of the better tackles in the game -- LDT Jonathan Babineaux (6’2” 300 Pounds) (31 Tackles … 3.5 Sacks … 8 TFL … 5 Passes Defensed … 1 INT). Like his brother former Seahawks SS Jordan “Big Play Babs”, Babineaux is a guy who is known for making plays. He is both an excellent run defender and pass rusher – one with a real motor that doesn’t quit. Back in 2009, he led all NFL interior lineman with 6 sacks, so he is quite capable of penetrating in to the backfield and leveling either Russell Wilson or Marshawn Lynch. This season, Babineaux has been the Falcons top run stuffer, as his 8 Tackles for Loss leads the team. Center Max Unger (6’5” 305 Pounds) and Right Guard J.R. Sweezy (6’5” 298 pounds) get the joy of trying to block him this week. The Seahawks Offensive Line under a relentless onslaught of pressure allowed Russell Wilson to be sacked 5 times. They’re going to have to do a much better job of taking it to defenders like Babineaux this week rather than the other way around.

WLB Sean Weatherspoon (6’2” 244 Pounds) (95 Tackles … 3.0 Sacks … 4 TFL … 4 Passed Defensed … 1 INT) – is one of the better all around linebackers you’ll find in the game. Weatherspoon is one who is good rushing the passer when needed, can defend against the run, and also is very solid when the Falcons drop him back in to zone coverage. He’s a very sure tackler, as the former Missouri Tiger finished 2nd in the team in tackles (he led Missouri in tackles each of his 3 years as a starter). Some out there felt he was one of the real Pro Bowl snubs and that he really deserved consideration. Looking at his overall body of work, it’s hard to disagree.

SLB Stephen Nicholas (6’3” 236 Pounds) (97 Tackles … 2.0 Sacks … 3 TFL … 4 Passes Defensed … 1 INT) – is another who many out there thought deserved Pro Bowl consideration. Nicholas is a hard-hitting nasty attitude linebacker who has good quickness (runs a 4.64) and skills as a linebacker. Prior to this season, the team had always contended that Nicholas had never made full use of his talents. This year, he’s responded by putting it all together and having his best year, leading the team in tackles and showing a propensity for making big plays.

So outside of the defensive backs (whom we’ve already taken a look at) the Falcons obviously DO have some guys who can make life tough on opposing quarterbacks.

But Russell Wilson is a different sort of bird altogether. In fact, he just might be the exact kind of quarterback who could give this Atlanta defense real problems on Sunday. As I mentioned before, the Falcons have had a fairly difficult time defending against the run this year. So, how have they done against those quarterbacks who are dual threats – whose legs are every bit as dangerous as their arms? I’m glad you asked.

On thing that can’t be overlooked is the fact that the Falcons had a difficult time with running quarterbacks this season. Although the Falcons Defense did knock Robert Griffin III out of the game with a concussion when they played them back in October (a Washington team that was really struggling at that time) … Panthers Quarterback Cam Newton gave this Atlanta defense absolute fits this year …

Cam Newton’s 2012 PASSING Performances Against the Falcons

Week (Date)

Pass Comp

Pass Att

Comp%

Pass Yards

Pass TD’s

INT’s

4 (9/30)

15

24

62.5%

215

2

0

14 (12/9)

23

35

65.7%

287

2

0

Cam Newton’s 2012 RUSHING Performances Against the Falcons

Week (Date)

Rushing Carries

Rushing Yards

Yards/Rush Avg.

Rush TD’s

4 (9/30)

9

86

9.5

1

14 (12/9)

9

116

12.8

1

As you can see, Newton did extremely well against the NFC’s #1 Seed this year. He lost the 1st Meeting by only 2 points (30-28) … but he and the Panthers WON that 2nd Meeting 30-20.

Might we see Russell Wilson have similar success? Perhaps. You see, Cam Newton and the Panthers run the Read Option … just like Wilson and the Seahawks do.

ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Ron Jaworski was on with 710 ESPN’s Brock and Salk on Thursday, talking about just how difficult Russell Wilson and the Seahawks Offense has become for opposing defenses to prepare for …

Jaworski: “… but they’ve [the Seahawks] now evolved in to a wicked play action passing team. You know, they run the ball SO effectively that the play action opportunities are there. And normally off play action, you know you’re going maximum protection, you’re allowing your receivers to work deeper down the field, and you’re going to hold on to the ball a little bit longer. And defenses are now MUCH MORE aware of the escapability of Russell Wilson. I’ll give you a real good example in a minute, so you know you get much more of a mush rush form. In other words, he’s going to have some time because they’re not just cutting it loose. They’re very disciplined in keeping their lanes and that way you’re going to buy a couple of tenths of a second. In the NFL, a couple of tenths of a second is a long, long time. Now I’ll just mention the impact that Russell has on a defense. Now, you may remember against the Washington Redskins, you know you had that nice run right up the middle. Well, he read that the Redskins were in man coverage – the middle of the field parted like the Red Sea – and he burst through there for a big gain. Well, then the Redskins adapted to that run. The next time they ran man coverage what they did was they spy on Russell. Well, he was alert enough and read the coverage quickly enough that realize that #97 was spying on him – and all of a sudden (to me the biggest play of the game) he hit Zach Miller for a big play on 3rd down. But here, he really dictated to the defense – hey, you’re going to play man, you’re going to spy me – and all of a sudden I’ve got a play to Zach Miller that is the turning point of the game. So, it just goes to show me what his ability does to the defense. He forced the Redskins defense to spy on him. He read it and then made a big play with a pass.”

Russell Wilson most certainly HAS proven to be a nightmare for opposing defenses to scheme against. If you pressure him, he beats you with his arm or his legs … but if you don’t and give him time back there, he’s shown a real propensity for making a big play downfield. The Falcons Offense comes in to this game only having had 29 Sacks on the regular season (the 5th Fewest of any NFL Team), so really outside of John Abraham, this team isn’t very good at generating pressure on opposing quarterbacks without blitzing. They’ve also been pretty mediocre when it comes to their ability to stop the run – hence why Wilson may be able to do exactly what Cam Newton did to this group. Will this Falcons team take a page out of the Redskins playbook and bring the heat … or will they rely upon the schemes of Mike Nolan to try and outfox Russell Wilson. Whether it’s been athletically or via his brain, Wilson has shown that he can beat defenses in so many ways. It’ll be very interesting to see exactly what the Atlanta Defense has in store.

Bold Prediction …

Last week, I told you all how I wasn’t completely sold on the Redskins team the Seahawks were facing. At the risk of jinxing things, I’m going to drink from that well yet again and say that there’s a piece of me that’s not buying what the Falcons are selling. How in the world can I say that about a 13-3 Falcons team? I’ll answer that by looking once again at the Falcons Strength of Schedule, taking a look not only at how the Falcons fared … but by also examining the competition they faced to get where they are.

According to Football Outsiders, the Falcons had the #27 Strength of Schedule (in other words, the 5th easiest schedule) this year …

How difficult was Seattle’s schedule you ask? According to Football Outsiders, the Seahawks had the 4th TOUGHEST schedule in all of football this year.

Yes, Matt Ryan’s has an all time record of 33-6 in the Georgia Dome (including the postseason) … and the Seahawks are 5-7 all time in games that start at 10am during the Pete Carroll Era.

At the same time though, this is a Falcons that didn’t exactly come in to the playoffs on a roll, having lost 2 out of their last 4 games. The Seahawks on the other hand, have won 6 in a row.

The Seahawks have not given up more than 17 Points in a game since Week 12 … and never allowed more than 21 number points over the last 8 games of the regular season. They have also shown that they can play with the big boys, holding the league’s #1 Scoring Offense to just 23 points back in Week 6 (12 points under New England’s season average). Atlanta’s offensive attack is good … but they’re not the Patriots. The Atlanta Falcons are a finesse team. I’m not saying that this is necessarily what the Seahawks are going to do this weekend … but I remember well what they did to the last finesse offense they went up against – the Dallas Cowboys. That was a team who had the exact same reputation as this Falcons team – soft. I don’t know if they have faced the kind of physical, fast defense and unpredictable kitchen sink offense that Seattle has. I honestly believe that the Seahawks Defense has a much easier task ahead of them in trying to stop Atlanta’s Offense … than Atlanta’s Defense does in their quest of trying to stop Seattle’s Offense.

On Tuesday, there were still 9,872 tickets to this game still available. That fact says a lot to me about the kind of environment the Seahawks will face this weekend. According to some ex-players who have played there, it sure sounds the Seahawks will be greeted more by Southern Hospitality … than by cannons a blazing. Though several experts out there are on the Falcons bandwagon in this one … it wouldn’t surprise me whatsoever if the Hawks end up leaving the Georgia Dome in much the same condition that General Sherman left Atlanta.

IMO, Lynch is going to start the game very slow. I consider the running back in the NFL most like Lynch to be Chris Ivory, and in the home game where they faced the Saints, the Falcons very obviously keyed on Ivory every time he was on the field. ( he had kicked their asses the first time they met).

The fans will come out hot, and so will the Falcons. When they lost to the Packers in 2010, they came out fired up and led that game both 7-0 and 14-7. ( rewatched that game because of the similarity Irvin can have to Matthews) But those fans are just waiting for the chance to not believe.

Excellent writeup. Very in depth. Had a few small errors (things like Samuels, who we traded for), but honestly it's probably the best writeup I've ever seen an opposing fan do.

And fyi, while it might seem like a lot of tickets left, I just checked - it's 3216 for ATL, mainly scalpers or Redskins fans. In comparison, the GB/SF game has 3079 left, the DEN/BAL has 1483 left, and HOU/NE has 1097 left. In other words, it's not like there won't be plenty of people there.

Also, the Wilson/Cam comparison is a bad one. Not only is Wilson a far superior QB, Cam also is freaking huge, and we struggle mainly with physicality in the front four, so they had trouble getting him down. Smaller QBs aren't as much of a problem (see Vick, RG3, etc).

Still will be a terrific game. Your prediction sounds about right - teams could switch up, but it might go either way. This has been one heck of a looooooong week.

Falcan Moore wrote:Excellent writeup. Very in depth. Had a few small errors (things like Samuels, who we traded for), but honestly it's probably the best writeup I've ever seen an opposing fan do.

And fyi, while it might seem like a lot of tickets left, I just checked - it's 3216 for ATL, mainly scalpers or Redskins fans. In comparison, the GB/SF game has 3079 left, the DEN/BAL has 1483 left, and HOU/NE has 1097 left. In other words, it's not like there won't be plenty of people there.

Also, the Wilson/Cam comparison is a bad one. Not only is Wilson a far superior QB, Cam also is freaking huge, and we struggle mainly with physicality in the front four, so they had trouble getting him down. Smaller QBs aren't as much of a problem (see Vick, RG3, etc).

Still will be a terrific game. Your prediction sounds about right - teams could switch up, but it might go either way. This has been one heck of a looooooong week.

Thanks for the props. It's always great getting kudos on these from opposing fans -- given the hard work put in on these. Regarding the tickets ... as I noted, that number was as of Tuesday. I'm just comparing that to Seattle, I guess. If this game were here ... knowing our fanbase the game would have been completely sold out rather fast. That's all.

As far as what you're saying regarding Russell Wilson and Cam Newton -- I'm going to maintain that's a really good comparison actually. Don't get hung up on the whole size issue in regards to Russell Wilson. Tons of people out there did that early on and I'm telling you it's not an issue. The point of the comparison is that both Wilson and Cam Newton are running quarterbacks who can actually throw from the pocket. Both of those guys also run the Read Option, which your defense really struggled against. And I wasn't the only one to make that comparison by the way. If you haven't done so, go ahead click on the link to that interview of Ron Jaworski's that I have linked in the main piece and listen to that. Jaworski was another who said that the Newton-Wilson comparison is a good one -- in the sense that they both run the Read Option ... and that they both have very similar tools.

By the way, the Seahawks ALSO faced Cam Newton and the Panthers in Charlotte this year. The Hawks limited Newton to just 12 of 29 pass attempts (41.4 Comp%) for 129 yards ... 0 TD ... sacked him 4 times ... and allowed him to run for a grand total of 42 yards on the ground. I'm just saying ...

Scottemojo wrote:IMO, Lynch is going to start the game very slow. I consider the running back in the NFL most like Lynch to be Chris Ivory, and in the home game where they faced the Saints, the Falcons very obviously keyed on Ivory every time he was on the field. ( he had kicked their asses the first time they met).

The fans will come out hot, and so will the Falcons. When they lost to the Packers in 2010, they came out fired up and led that game both 7-0 and 14-7. ( rewatched that game because of the similarity Irvin can have to Matthews) But those fans are just waiting for the chance to not believe.

You're probably right Scott that the Falcons will key in on stopping Lynch (that'll be their #1 priority). I most certainly would because they know what we know -- controlling the clock and keeping the Falcons Offense off the field is what Seattle's going to want to do. So, it wouldn't be surprising to me whatsoever to see if they do a bit of what the Redskins did -- load up the box to stop Lynch and times put a spy on Russell Wilson. But as Wilson has shown, that approach has consequences. Personally, I'm wondering if we might see a big game from Zach Miller again because of that.

Gangster post. Last night my wife comes out of the bedroom tells me she doesn't feel well and that she wants me to come to bed. I had just started reading your article and told her I would show up just as soon as I was finished. 15 minutes later I roll in and she isn't having it. I just couldn't put it down and the stuff is freaking long and merits a thorough reading for all the work you put into them.

I just got through listening to the podcast by Eric Williams (Tacoma News Tribune) and Rob Rang (NFLDraftScout.com). They did a great job. For those Falcons fans reading this who are unfamiliar with him, Rob Rang is a high school teacher by trade ... but he's also one of the very best amateur talent evaluators out there in terms of the draft, NFL, college, etc.

If you're interested, you can listen to their podcast in full at the link below ...

Anyway, Rang made a point I've heard no one make thus far. He said that the one matchup he's really looking forward to is the Scott Baker-Bruce Irvin one. He noted that LT Scott Baker has very short arms and said he wouldn't be surprised if Irvin has a 2 sack (or more day) and is able to get consistent pressure on Matt Ryan. An interesting point and definitely something to watch.

falcongoggles wrote:Gangster post. Last night my wife comes out of the bedroom tells me she doesn't feel well and that she wants me to come to bed. I had just started reading your article and told her I would show up just as soon as I was finished. 15 minutes later I roll in and she isn't having it. I just couldn't put it down and the stuff is freaking long and merits a thorough reading for all the work you put into them.

LOL! I SO know what you're talking about. I've gotten in trouble with my wife (from time to time) with the amount of time I've spent following (and writing about) the Seahawks. I feel your pain brother. Bro Hug/Chest Bump.

Falcan Moore wrote:Excellent writeup. Very in depth. Had a few small errors (things like Samuels, who we traded for), but honestly it's probably the best writeup I've ever seen an opposing fan do.

And fyi, while it might seem like a lot of tickets left, I just checked - it's 3216 for ATL, mainly scalpers or Redskins fans. In comparison, the GB/SF game has 3079 left, the DEN/BAL has 1483 left, and HOU/NE has 1097 left. In other words, it's not like there won't be plenty of people there.

Also, the Wilson/Cam comparison is a bad one. Not only is Wilson a far superior QB, Cam also is freaking huge, and we struggle mainly with physicality in the front four, so they had trouble getting him down. Smaller QBs aren't as much of a problem (see Vick, RG3, etc).

Still will be a terrific game. Your prediction sounds about right - teams could switch up, but it might go either way. This has been one heck of a looooooong week.

Thanks for the props. It's always great getting kudos on these from opposing fans -- given the hard work put in on these. Regarding the tickets ... as I noted, that number was as of Tuesday. I'm just comparing that to Seattle, I guess. If this game were here ... knowing our fanbase the game would have been completely sold out rather fast. That's all.

As far as what you're saying regarding Russell Wilson and Cam Newton -- I'm going to maintain that's a really good comparison actually. Don't get hung up on the whole size issue in regards to Russell Wilson. Tons of people out there did that early on and I'm telling you it's not an issue. The point of the comparison is that both Wilson and Cam Newton are running quarterbacks who can actually throw from the pocket. Both of those guys also run the Read Option, which your defense really struggled against. And I wasn't the only one to make that comparison by the way. If you haven't done so, go ahead click on the link to that interview of Ron Jaworski's that I have linked in the main piece and listen to that. Jaworski was another who said that the Newton-Wilson comparison is a good one -- in the sense that they both run the Read Option ... and that they both have very similar tools.

By the way, the Seahawks ALSO faced Cam Newton and the Panthers in Charlotte this year. The Hawks limited Newton to just 12 of 29 pass attempts (41.4 Comp%) for 129 yards ... 0 TD ... sacked him 4 times ... and allowed him to run for a grand total of 42 yards on the ground. I'm just saying ...

About tickets, the tickets for Atlanta sold out 3 minutes after they went on sale. It's stubhub that's still selling them - ie people reselling tickets. Down to 1801 tickets already even there. And I respect Jaws opinion a lot, and I'm not discrediting Wilson, especially due to him being small...did you not see that I said he was superior to Cam as a QB? I'm just saying, it's easier to tackle a 5'11, 206 lb QB than it is to tackle a 6'5, 245 lb QB. Newton has a bigger arm and is less accurate, and Wilson's a born leader with a lot of football intelligence as well.

Don't see any point comparing how the Hawks did against Newton btw, seeing as he's the polar opposite to Ryan. This next week is without precedent.

Hawkscanner wrote:I just got through listening to the podcast by Eric Williams (Tacoma News Tribune) and Rob Rang (NFLDraftScout.com). They did a great job. For those Falcons fans reading this who are unfamiliar with him, Rob Rang is a high school teacher by trade ... but he's also one of the very best amateur talent evaluators out there in terms of the draft, NFL, college, etc.

If you're interested, you can listen to their podcast in full at the link below ...

Anyway, Rang made a point I've heard no one make thus far. He said that the one matchup he's really looking forward to is the Scott Baker-Bruce Irvin one. He noted that LT Scott Baker has very short arms and said he wouldn't be surprised if Irvin has a 2 sack (or more day) and is able to get consistent pressure on Matt Ryan. An interesting point and definitely something to watch.

His name is Sam Baker, and he hasn't allowed a single rusher to get two sacks all season. He's only allowed 3.5 sacks all season, and this is coming against top tier pass rushers anyways. If anything, I'd be more hopeful of the matchup between Alan Branch and - if he lines up on him - Peter Konz. Konz gives up a lot of interior pressure, and Branch is gigantic. That said, those two have been pretty dang ineffective when it comes to rushing the passer, and your rushers off the edge worried me far more. With Clemons gone, I'm pretty confident about our matchup in that facet.

Hawkscanner wrote:I just got through listening to the podcast by Eric Williams (Tacoma News Tribune) and Rob Rang (NFLDraftScout.com). They did a great job. For those Falcons fans reading this who are unfamiliar with him, Rob Rang is a high school teacher by trade ... but he's also one of the very best amateur talent evaluators out there in terms of the draft, NFL, college, etc.

If you're interested, you can listen to their podcast in full at the link below ...

Anyway, Rang made a point I've heard no one make thus far. He said that the one matchup he's really looking forward to is the Scott Baker-Bruce Irvin one. He noted that LT Scott Baker has very short arms and said he wouldn't be surprised if Irvin has a 2 sack (or more day) and is able to get consistent pressure on Matt Ryan. An interesting point and definitely something to watch.

His name is Sam Baker, and he hasn't allowed a single rusher to get two sacks all season. He's only allowed 3.5 sacks all season, and this is coming against top tier pass rushers anyways. If anything, I'd be more hopeful of the matchup between Alan Branch and - if he lines up on him - Peter Konz. Konz gives up a lot of interior pressure, and Branch is gigantic. That said, those two have been pretty dang ineffective when it comes to rushing the passer, and your rushers off the edge worried me far more. With Clemons gone, I'm pretty confident about our matchup in that facet.

Sorry about the typo -- I wrote that post pretty quick (guess I had baseball on the brain with Baker or something). In terms of what you're saying regarding Branch (and I would add Mebane) -- I would caution you in getting caught up on stats when it comes to Interior D Linemen. Those guys can cause a lot of problems right up the middle. My eyes told me that they both had a great game against the Redskins ... and former Seahawks LB Dave Wyman said exactly the same thing this week on 710 ESPN. They can be a disruptive force, so I wouldn't be too confident.

Hawkscanner wrote:Sorry about the typo -- I wrote that post pretty quick (guess I had baseball on the brain with Baker or something). In terms of what you're saying regarding Branch (and I would add Mebane) -- I would caution you in getting caught up on stats when it comes to Interior D Linemen. Those guys can cause a lot of problems right up the middle. My eyes told me that they both had a great game against the Redskins ... and former Seahawks LB Dave Wyman said exactly the same thing this week on 710 ESPN. They can be a disruptive force, so I wouldn't be too confident.

Oh, I definitely agree that they can be disruptive, it's just that we've already faced a lot of superior DTs. Mebane is better than Branch imho, but he's not as large (in terms of height) and our guys do better against DTs with his skillset, whereas Branch matches up pretty perfectly. Our DTs had a good game against the Redskins too, Walker even got a sack; their guards might just be slightly overrated when it comes to more athletic DTs. I'm hoping Mebane goes against Blalock, who's our most experience lineman and probably our best, whereas Konz takes Branch, with McClure doubling up on whoever demands it the most depending on the play.

When I watched the Falcons on tape extensively.. I'd say 80% of the pressure on Ryan came right where the C and RG are lined up. Their interior line is pretty paltry.. and I think that's a big reason why they can't run the ball too, that and Michael Turner being about 70 years old.

Ryan has a quick enough release in that he doesn't take too many sacks, but pressure definitely rattles him.. he makes (and I hate to do this) Hasselbeck type decisions when he's pressured.

I also think we CAN do this without blitzing, which would be huge given the weapons in the Falcon passing game.

Hasselbeck wrote:When I watched the Falcons on tape extensively.. I'd say 80% of the pressure on Ryan came right where the C and RG are lined up. Their interior line is pretty paltry.. and I think that's a big reason why they can't run the ball too, that and Michael Turner being about 70 years old.

Ryan has a quick enough release in that he doesn't take too many sacks, but pressure definitely rattles him.. he makes (and I hate to do this) Hasselbeck type decisions when he's pressured.

I also think we CAN do this without blitzing, which would be huge given the weapons in the Falcon passing game.

From what I've seen, I have to agree. If there's a weak point along that offensive line ... it's right up the gut, specifically where you're talking about, as C Todd McClure and RG Peter Konz have allowed the most sacks on this Falcons team.

As far as creating pressure without blitzing -- now that would be something to see. I hope you're right, but I don't know about that. Personally, I'm really hoping that Rob Rang is right about the Bruce Irvin vs. SAM Baker matchup ... and that Irvin tees off today.

I don't know about you guys, but I absolutely, positively couldn't sleep much last night in thinking about this game. As I mentioned in the main piece IMHO the main match-up that will ultimately determine the outcome of this game is how Kam Chancellor does against Tony Gonzalez. If I had to pick one, that will be the #1 key from what I can see.

Any other thoughts you guys have rattling around your noggins with a little over 4 hours to go before kickoff?

Largent80 wrote:Branch had a game about the size of his ass last week, which is friggin huge..

But I look for Mebane and him to get a good push up the middle in this game, and hopefully we get some great pressure from Irvin/Scruggs/Chuchwurah

If those 2 (meaning Mebane and Branch) have the kind of game they had last week ... in getting the kind of pressure up the middle they did, then I very much like our chances in this game. One thing's for sure, the pressure's got to come from somewhere. We can't simply allow the league's most accurate passer any time of time to get comfy cozy back there.